The house seemed well kept on the outside and glowed
in warm purple tones amidst the browns and grays of its neighbors.A big rainbow flag hanging from the flag
post above the porch fluttered in the late afternoon wind.Marissa could see light shining through the
first floor and attic windows.She
guessed that the second floor was occupied by Eva, the woman presumably gone
for the evening.She looked around and
her eyes settled on the mailbox hung by the door.It was too dark for her to see the names on it and her lips
lifted in a smile as she remembered a phone conversation she had with Sydney
earlier that day.

“Well,
how am I going to know which house is yours if there is no number on it?”

The
girl had chuckled.“Oh, maybe look at
the names on the mailbox?”An abrupt
silence followed that statement making Marissa think the girl had said
something she wasn’t supposed to.

“Sydney?Hello?”

“Ah,
hi.Sorry, I got distracted there for a
second.”Her voice had held a wavery
quality to it now, but it was gone with the next sentence.“Don’t worry, you won’t be able to miss it.It’s the gayest house on the block.It will simply draw you in.”

She hadn’t been exaggerating.Even the drab fall afternoon couldn’t dull
the vibrancy of the house in front of her.She found herself wondering about Eva again, the woman for whom Sydney
had shown nothing but dedication and quiet affection.She had been as close as Sydney had gotten to talking about
family.And still Marissa couldn’t
shake off the tiny teeth of illogical jealousy nipping at the corners of her
mind.Her emotions and actions concerning
this girl did not make any sense.

She wanted Sydney with a hunger that
paralleled what she had experienced with Kris.It was a need that overrode caution and the restraints of ingrained
socially accepted behavior.There was
one main difference though.Where the
excitement from encounters with Kris stemmed from Marissa’s anticipation of her
own sexual pleasure, when her thoughts turned to Sydney, all she could think of
were many ways she could draw enraptured moans from the younger woman.Her desire stemmed from the fact that she
wanted to create Sydney’s moans of pleasure, to clear the sadness in the green
eyes, not from her personal need for satisfaction.Well, at least not completely
out of my personal need…

Shaking off her thoughts, she
transferred the heavy bag she was carrying into her other hand and knocked on
the door.Selfish or not, I plan to have my need satiated tonight.So, stop dilly-dallying and go in.

A few moments later she heard
footsteps and her heart picked up its pace in expectation of soft green eyes
and a bright smile.It was only her
years of dealing with obnoxious talent and the need to deal with even most
eccentric of authors that helped Marissa’s smile stay firmly entrenched on her
face.The woman in front of her,
holding the door open, was an accident waiting to happen.The thought of what would happen if even one
of the numerous piercings adorning her face got caught in her towel almost made
Marissa openly flinch.Instead, the
social butterfly in her took over and she smiled even wider, extending her hand.

“You must be Eva, correct?Sydney has told me so much about you.”

The shorter woman was not fooled by
her exuberance.Her handshake was firm
and brief, wary brown eyes never leaving Marissa’s face.

“Nice to meet you Marissa.Please come in.”The tone of her voice was curt, but Marissa could tell she was
already measured up and dismissed as unworthy, as far as Eva was
concerned.She could feel her own smile
turning stiff on her face.The hallway
was dark and she could see coat racks bulging under their load.“You can hang your coat here.You don’t have to take your shoes off.Here...”

She was handed a coat hanger and she
placed the bag she was carrying on the floor, taking off her coat and hanging
it up.Eva stood in the middle of the
hallway, facing her, and the light streaming through the door behind her kept
her face obscured from Marissa.“Syd’s
in the kitchen, finishing up.Come in.”

Marissa wordlessly picked up the bag
and pulled down her sweater before following the woman to the kitchen.God,
she actually jingles as she walks!I
bet she doesn’t dare swim like that, she wouldn’t’ be able to keep above the
surface with all that extra weight dangling off her...The humor only slightly covered the sting
she felt at Eva’s cold response.She
found herself getting angry and irritated.She’s probably just jealous that
Sydney’s got a new friend.I can’t
imagine too many people wanting to be around a freaky pincushion like her.

The kitchen was just past the door
and very spacious.Before Marissa could
wonder at the odd layout of the house, her mind abandoned thought as her eyes
took in the girl standing by the stove.Sydney had her head turned sideways, facing Marissa, her eyes twinkling
a hello at her above the spatula positioned in front of her lips.Her hair was haphazardly pulled on top of
her head in her version of a cheerleading ponytail, long wisps sliding from the
knot and softly curling about her forehead, ears and back of the neck.Her cheeks were slightly flushed with the
steam rising from the stove, rounding her youthful appearance.

Marissa’s eyes slid down, taking in
the girl’s outfit.Where Sydney’s face
and eyes and smile spread a gentle warmth from her chest to her eyes and curled
her lips in a soft smile, the girl’s body awakened a whole new set of feelings
in Marissa.And they all centered
bellow her belt.The girl, unlike every
other time she had seen her, was wearing contour-fitting black spandex pants,
bare feet peaking from under them, and a tight white tee which outlined her
breasts in sharp relief and ended just above her belly button.Marissa let her eyes slide up from the
golden flash of a belly-button ring to the outline of a small nipple ring below
the white cotton.The only concession
to the baggy clothes the piercer usually adorned herself with was a bulky gray
sweater that hung unbuttoned about her slim frame, reaching just past her
hips.Marissa swallowed.

The soft snort of laughter behind
her and the accented flush of the girl’s cheeks made her realize she was, quite
obviously, letting her appreciation show by staring.She self-consciously cleared her throat, feeling Eva’s derisive
eyes on her back.God, now I know why my high-school boyfriends hated picking me up at my
house and why my parents seemed to have so much fun.Hefting up the heavy bag she was holding,
she put it on the kitchen table she was standing next to and raised her eyes
towards Sydney again.

“Hey, you.I, uh, brought you your favorite, the little pump and all.”

Sydney was walking towards her with
a big smile on her face, hands burrowed in the pockets of her sweater, her body
exposed to Marissa’s eyes with unconscious allure.She stopped just a half a step away, her head tilted upwards and
to the side, her gaze full and open.

Marissa looked into the eyes poised
below her, golden-brown streaks dividing the green of the girl’s iris in
meandering patterns.No wonder her eyes seem so much darker and
deeper sometimes.Though the young
piercer rarely left her thoughts from their first encounter, images conjured by
her mind never came even near to the experience of standing near this
woman.The energy flowing off Sydney and
lapping at Marissa was palpable, soft undercurrents raising the hairs on her
forearms and the back of her neck.The
shock of having the young woman in front of her again, the warmth of basking in
her smile, were affecting her thought process.Eva’s presence didn’t matter anymore, her obvious dislike forgotten,
aromas of the kitchen unregistered, the whole room sliding away until all she
could see and feel was Sydney.It was
amazing.

“You’re gorgeous.”

It escaped as a sigh, as a whisper, but the girl heard it, her
eyes widening at Marissa’s words.Then
she stepped up her face breaking into the same smile Marissa saw at her
doorstep after they had kissed.She
just smiled up at her with her hands still tucked away in her pockets, but the
warmth of her body drew Marissa forward, eyes closed as their lips
brushed.That’s all it was, a soft
brush, their bodies not touching anywhere else, but that made that single point
of contact that more sweeter, their breaths mingling for a short moment before
they separated.

Sydney slowly blinked once and then
took a small step back, chilling the air between them with the lack of her
presence.“I see you’ve met Eva.”

Marissa took a step back as well,
bringing Eva into her peripheral vision.The brown-haired woman was leaning against the wall by the door, her
face passive and her eyes still trained on Marissa.

“Yes, we, uh.. yes, I did.”Turning to Eva, she flashed her a quick
smile.God, she’s still here?!Her
legs felt twitchy and her heart still pounded and she crossed the room in a few
quick steps, peering into the darkness beyond the kitchen window.

“I haven’t been to this part of J.P.
before.It’s a nice neighborhood.”She turned to Eva.“Your house does stand out.I was able to see it from three blocks away.”

Sydney was back at the stove, taking
a pan off the burner and vigorously stirring contents of another one.“Yeah, E and I painted it ourselves a couple
of years ago.We had a huge block party
after we were done, everyone came to admire it.”She snickered, glancing mirthfully at her older companion.“We even got offered a few painting jobs
after that.”She faced Marissa, her
spatula at rest for a brief moment.“Unfortunately, Eva felt that painting came awfully near to construction
work, and she didn’t want to be utterly stereotypical.So we didn’t.A pity, I say, the ‘hood would have looked much nicer, right E?”

Eva looked at the girl and smiled,
sharp lines around her mouth dimpling and her eyes gentling.The clear affection that radiated towards
the young piercer completely transformed her face, softness replacing worry in
her eyes.“Right Syd.Although, in the end, I think I did us all a
favor.One look at you in your tiny
denim cut-offs and a tank-top, and all the old dykes in the neighborhood would
have started showing up on my porch with freshly baked cookies, leaving their
cats hungry and unattended to.”

She silently contemplated the girl’s
hearty laugh that followed her statement before pushing off the wall and
nodding at Marissa.“Syd can give you a
tour of the house later on.It was nice
meeting you and I hope to see you again soon.”

Yeah,
I bet you do.“You too, Eva.”

The woman nodded again before
turning back to Sydney.“Well, I’m
off.Depending on how festive Joan
feels tonight I might just crash at her place.Either way, I’ll see you at work tomorrow, if not earlier.”

The girl nodded.“Okay, E.Have fun and don’t do anything I wouldn’t.”

“Aha.Well, that certainly leaves me with a lot of
options.”And with a wink she was gone.

The small blonde sighed
exasperatedly, shaking her head.“Friends.Can’t live with
them...”

Marissa smiled, Eva’s departure
making her feel less on edge.“I can
certainly relate to that sentiment.”She stepped over to the table again, lifting the small keg out of the
bag she brought.“Let me put this in
the fridge before it starts warming up.”After a few minutes of maneuvering and re-arranging, she was able to
squeeze the keg in the fridge.God, I don’t remember the last time I saw
this much food in one fridge.

“What are you cooking?”Whatever it was smelled wonderful and
Marissa couldn’t help but notice the incongruity of her first impression of
Sydney and who the young woman was turning out to be.She can cook, she can
pierce, if she’s good in bed, she’ll be fit to get married.She allowed an internal snicker to
escape.Well, as they say, only one way to find out…

“My one and only specialty -
tacos.They’re almost done; I just need
to finish up with the beans.Would you
mind setting the table for us?”

“Mmm, tacos… Next thing you’ll tell
me, you’re making your own tortillas.”There were cupboards everywhere in the kitchen and none of them seemed
to have plates stored in them.“Where
do you keep plates in this place?”

“They’re right here above me.And, yes, I do make my own tortillas.Mama Garcia used to make tacos all the
time.That’s how I learned how to cook
- I can only make random Hispanic dishes.”

Sydney’s back was turned to her and
Marissa realized that if she wanted to reach the plates she’d have to lean over
the girl to get them.I guess I could ask her to step aside for a
moment…She eyed the petite figure
in front of her again.Nah!Approaching, she stepped up to the girl and leaned in until her lips
were almost touching the back of Sydney’s exposed neck.“Looks good from here.”

The girl yelped, half turning
towards her, startled.“Yah!How d…?God, you scared me!”Sydney
faced Marissa now and that brought her upturned face just inches away from
Marissa’s lips and the editor could see her focus on them.

“I’m sorry, I just couldn’t
resist.”She offered a devilish smile
with no trace of apology in it.“Do you
forgive me?”She leaned in lower,
brushing her lips against Sydney’s again.

It was absolutely delicious.She could feel the slight shiver run from
their lips down the girl’s body and the rush of her breath as it escaped in a
small sigh.It was an almost innocent
touch, but for the restrained desire that bubbled below the surface.It was odd, really, it seemed the more
attracted they were to each other, the more timid their touches became.The intensity, the need they felt increased
over time but so did this slow-burning tenderness which made every touch they
shared deep and unhurried.

She let her tongue trace the contour
of the girl’s fuller lower lip and Sydney responded immediately.True, the kiss began slowly and leisurely,
tongues sliding against each other and tracing patterns in the warmth of each
other’s mouths.But with the first
sigh, the first moan loosened in the exploration, Marissa could feel both of
them losing the battle with their desire.Fully turning towards her, Sydney tangled her hands in Marissa’s hair,
pulling the taller woman hard against herself, claiming her mouth with the
ferocity of their first meeting.

The smell of burning beans
interrupted further advances.

“Oh, shit!”Sydney turned, moving the pot from the
burner.She leaned on the stove, taking
a shaky breath.“God, how do you do
that to me?”

Marissa herself had a hard time
stopping the tremors that run through her body in response to the girl’s
kisses.This is ridiculous!What are we
waiting for, a written invitation to consummate our relationship?She had taken a step back, giving Sydney
some room to compose herself.Do we even have a relationship to consummate
though?She looked over to where
the girl was trying to salvage the top layer of the ominously smelling
beans.The response she came up with
surprised her.God, I hope so.But no more waiting...She could see that both of them clearly
wanted, needed to deepen the physical contact, so much that any normal
interaction between them was simply impossible.It was difficult to concentrate on conversation and other such
mundane things when all of your nerve endings kept screaming “Just jump her
already!”.

She took a step forward again,
sidling up to the girl.Reaching over
Sydney’s shoulder with her right hand, she turned the burner off.The move pressed her fully up against the
girl, her lips conveniently poised next to a flushed ear.“I can assure you that the feeling is
mutual.”

Her breath ruffled the soft curls
around the girl’s ear and Marissa could feel the shudder that run through the
body pressed against her.“This whole
week, I couldn’t’ stop thinking about you.”She retreated her hand from the stovetop and let it wrap itself around
the girl’s waist.The feel of the soft
skin of the bare midriff under her palm caused her to take a sharp breath.With her left hand she reached over and drew
the collar of the sweater away from the neck before her.Her lips resting against the soft skin of
Sydney’s throat, she murmured.“I kept
dreaming about you.”

She gently nudged the girl’s ear
with the tip of her nose before placing a soft kiss on the tender skin below
it.“I am madly attracted to you.”Another kiss, a bit lower this time.The girl was openly shaking now, her head
hung low and to the side, allowing Marissa easier access to her neck.“And...”She let her voice drop to a purr, knowing the reverberations could be
felt in the body pressed snugly against her.“...I think you might be attracted to me too, hmm?”Not waiting for an answer, nor expecting
one, she let her lips cover the spot where the girl’s pulse was keeping a
visible tempo of her excitement.Her
tongue slid out and flicked over the pulse point before she covered it again,
gently sucking.

Sydney moaned, her hands
convulsively gripping the edges of the stove, her back arching into
Marissa.The sound of the girl’s
pleasure broke the last thread of restraint Marissa thought she had over her
actions.The warmth of the body against
her, soft scent of Sydney’s hair, the sound of the girl’s breath quickened with
excitement made her forget that they were standing in the middle of the
kitchen, that she had just walked in.All that mattered now was to keep these sensations from dissipating.

Her hands dipped under the thin
cotton of the girl’s shirt and the warmth that met her fingertips left her motionless
for a moment.Sydney’s skin was soft
and warm, the flat expanse of her stomach interrupted only by a small golden
hoop in her belly button.Marissa
slowly ran her fingertips from the edge of black pants, up the expanse of
smooth skin, dragging the shirt with her and stopping at the wires of the
piercer’s bra.The shudder that ran
through Sydney’s body at the touch was almost violent and she turned in her
embrace, one lip caught between her teeth, her breathing erratic.Small hands insistently tugged at Marissa’s
sweater and she wiggled out of it, letting it fall to the floor.

The girl grasped her face with both
her hands, not letting her move in for a kiss, and when Marissa met her gaze,
her knees almost gave away.There was a
predatory glint in the green eyes before her, a flushed smile uncovering the
gleaming whiteness of the teeth behind it.God!It’s like there’s two different people in there!Sydney was in control again.She placed her hands on the girl’s waist
again, the warmth below them driving her to distraction, but Sydney didn’t seem
to notice.

“You…” the piercer’s voice was low
and just the slightest trace of teasing took the edge of the menacing
undertones, “like to play with fire, don’t you, Marissa?”

She shivered, unable to look away
from the verdant gaze which held her captive.The truth was, she loved to play with fire.The change in the girl she was witnessing was an exquisitely
arousing experience for her and all she could do was nod her response.

A small nod and a self-satisfied
smile were the only reaction from Sydney, her hands still holding Marissa’s
face and keeping it just a short distance from her own.“Well, then…” her thumb slid to caress
Marissa’s lips, “I do live to oblige…”

Slowly, so slowly, the girl drew her
face down and Marissa felt her eyes slide shut in anticipation.She could feel Sydney’s sweet breath on her
lips and couldn’t stop her own soft gasps from escaping.The touch was so soft that she would have
imagined she felt it if it wasn’t for the warm wetness that was left in its
wake.Her hands gripped the girl closer
to her, her tongue touching the spot on her lip in reflex.

Then it was there again, longer now,
lingering, and she felt the air escape her lungs with arousal.The tip of Sydney’s tongue touched her
parted lips again, feathery and tracing, igniting the nerve endings in soft
flesh.Her eyes still closed, she tried
to lower her lips down and claim the promise that rested on the girl’s tongue.Her head was yanked back, gently but with
determination.She opened her eyes.

Sydney held her gaze for a long
moment, her eyes boring into Marissa.Her voice was soft but the message was clear.“Don’t.”A soft kiss to
the corner of her mouth.“Presume.”The other
corner.“To move.”On her chin.“Until I tell you to.”

Marissa swallowed.To say that she was turned on would be to
call Hurricane Andrew a spring breeze.Sydney’s touch and smell and voice aroused her to no end, but what made
her ravenous was the sudden change of pace, tameness replaced by
dominance.She could feel herself
getting more excited by the second, feel her nipples straining against the lace
of her bra.She needed Sydney to touch
her, to claim her, but the dwindling voice of reason kept asking her if she was
ready for it.She had never been so
utterly consumed by need, by desire before.Even with Kris, at her most carnal moments, there was a part of her that
insisted that she could have walked away at any point.Now, all she could hear was the roar of
blood rushing through her veins in anticipation.

As if sensing her thoughts, Sydney
moved in and erased all of them.Her
tongue penetrated Marissa’s mouth and claimed her as her own.She wrapped her arms around the smaller woman,
peeling the bulky sweater off her.Her
hands slid down, cupping Sydney’s ass and pulling her against her.The girl’s hands were in her hair, drawing
her in roughly, insistent tongue and teeth drawing out moans she couldn’t have
suppressed even if she wanted to.Then
she felt small hands leave their purchase in her hair and slide down her back,
slipping below the belt of her jeans and pulling her T-shirt out.

The first touch almost cost Marissa
her balance.The sensation of Sydney’s
hands on the sensitized skin of her back was scorching, never having
experienced it before.It sent currents
of warmth and energy through her skin, every touch infused with an electrifying
charge.Small hands slid up her back,
pulling her shirt along with them, gliding over her shoulders and running down
the length of her torso, avoiding touching her breasts.Suddenly breaking the kiss, Sydney stepped
back, silently tugging at the shirt, and Marissa complied, raising her
hands.Her T-shirt joined her sweater
on the floor.

The loss of contact chilled her and
she could feel the slight air currencies rising goose bumps on her exposed
skin.She stood there, in her jeans and
a red lace bra Caroline helped her pick, in the middle of an unknown kitchen,
swaying slightly with emotions carousing through her body, her hands twitching
with the need to reach out and touch soft flesh again, but none of that
mattered.What mattered now was the
look of undisguised admiration and desire she could see on Sydney’s face.Unconsciously, she straightened her
shoulders, her full breasts standing out more prominently; erect nipples
directly at the girl’s eye level.

“God, you’re beautiful.”It came as an exhale, Sydney’s voice low and
raspy with need.She took a step back,
her eyes sliding up and down the expanse of exposed skin and Marissa could feel
the trails of heat they left in their wake.Slowly, almost reverently, Sydney reached out, and ran her hands up
Marissa’s arms, starting with her fingers, up long forearms, raising the soft
hairs with every touch, all the way up until she was cupping the back of the
editor’s head again, pulling Marissa down towards her upturned face with awed
gentleness.“Perfect.”She whispered, laying a kiss on the soft
skin of Marissa’s neck.“Soft.”Her tongue traced a collarbone.“Wonderful.”Soft murmurs continued as the girl slid her hands down Marissa’s
shoulders, taking the bra straps along.Her lips moved up to cover newly discovered skin.

Marissa couldn’t take it
anymore.She was shaking.The dizzying closeness of the girl, her
scent, softness of hair brushing her neck with every movement of Sydney’s head,
every touch, every word caused a small tremor to run through her body, increase
her breathing, overwhelm her.Blindly,
her hands grasped the soft cotton under them, pulling and taking it off.She had to feel Sydney; she had to feel her
now.Slightly taken aback, the girl
still complied, raising her hands and helping Marissa take of her shirt.The sight was breathtaking.Blonde hair loosened in the process, hung
about her shoulders and breasts in gentle waves.The girl stood still under her hungry gaze, looking straight into
her eyes, chin up, and Marissa could see defiance and vulnerability in her
stance.The white bra she wore did
nothing to disguise the perfect roundness of her breasts, nipples pushing
against the thin cotton.

She was... magnificent.Though slender, the girl had an hourglass
figure:full breasts, tapering waist
and rounded hips.The femininity of her
figure stood in sharp contrast to her non-descript dress style, oversized,
baggy clothes effectively concealing her body.Though she had the opportunity to trace the body before her with her
hands, Marissa was not ready for the sight that greeted her now.Pliant skin, inciting curve of breasts, defined
lines of abdominal muscles were all hers for the asking.Sydney was muscular in a lean way, muscles
hidden under soft skin until the girl moved, and then they rippled and bunched,
betraying the hidden strength in the slender frame.

She was staring, but there was
nothing she could do about it.“Hey.”Sydney’s voice was soft,
but she could hear amusement in it.“See anything you like?”There
it was again, that self-assured, seductive side of the girl.Her eyes snapped up to the girl’s face, the soft
green of the eyes in front of her clouded by arousal.

“You are magnificent.”She wanted to say more, to tell the girl
exactly what an affect she had on her, to describe the fire her body was being
consumed by, but this was no time for words.Closing the short distance between them, she enveloped Sydney in her
arms, their lips meeting with blind accuracy.The sensation of skin on skin electrified every touch they shared, the
heat created between their bodies seeping back through fervent skin and reverberating
through them with increasing urgency.There was no thought involved in their coupling, instinct overtook and
led every movement, hands caressing warm skin, lips evoking sighs.

“God, I want you.”And she did, she wanted the girl so badly,
she could feel the need gnawing at her in the pit of her stomach.The response she got was the tightening of
the legs around her, Sydney’s hips moving in tight circular motions, her lips
claiming the skin of Marissa’s neck.She couldn’t stay standing much longer like this.

Turning, she lowered Sydney on the
table, leaning in with her hands planted on the cool surface until Sydney’s
back was resting on it.When the girl’s
heated skin touched the tiles that covered the top of the table, she gasped,
her back arching into Marissa.The
editor couldn’t stop a snicker from escaping.

Sharp teeth tugged at her
earlobe.“You knew it was going to be
cold, didn’t you?”The voice seeping
into her ear held a promise of sweet retribution and Marissa found herself
nodding vigorously.

“Yes, yes I did.” She pulled back, letting the girl see the
grin on her face.“What are you going
to do about it?”

Sydney threw back her head, a
chortle of laughter escaping at Marissa’s game.When she brought her eyes back to the editor’s face, though,
Marissa could see the depth of the craving directed at her.“Oh, I can think of plenty of things.”Her hands cupped Marissa’s face drawing her
down for a kiss.It was sweet and
gentle this time, promise and longing intermingling with each breath they
shared.When they pulled back and
looked at each other, all the nervous energy, coiled passion waiting to be
released seemed to be subdued.It was
just the two of them, ready to make an exhilarating and frightening step
forward, and they both acknowledged the same fact.A soft smile caressing her lips, Sydney brushed her fingers
across Marissa’s cheek before sliding off the table and leading her out of the
kitchen.

*****************

She felt as if her knees were going
to give out.She clutched the girl’s
hand, determined not to let anything interfere this time.We’re
going to do it!We are really going to
do it.The narrow staircase they
were climbing, Sydney leading the way, reminded her of those dreams where you
climb the never-ending flight of stairs, the elusive white door at the end of
the hallway getting farther with every step.She shook her head.Oh, no, I’m getting to that door tonight,
and I’m opening it too.God, I can’t
believe this is finally happening...

The smooth skin of the girl’s back
filled her vision and she could see the nervous twitching of muscles in
Sydney’s shoulders.She looked closer,
noticing the white-knuckled grip the girl had on the railing as they made their
way up to the top floor, and dampness of the palm in her hand.It seemed that, with every step they took,
the girl lost some of her determination.Before Marissa had a chance to process that information, they reached
the top of the stairs, stopping in front of a dark-red door.Still turned away from Marissa, her head
hung low, Sydney let go of her hand.

“Marissa, I ...” She stopped, taking
a deep breath and letting it out slowly.“I can’t...” Her head shook slowly, long strands of blond hair trailing
down her back.Straightening, still
facing the door, there was determination in her voice.“I have to tell you something before we...”
she stopped, unsure how to continue.

Marissa saw the clenching of her
jaw, the trembling of the slender fingers, she could hear the insecurity and...
fear?, in the girl’s voice.It moved
her, the vulnerability of the girl, the slight slump of the shoulders in front
of her, the halting quality of the voice that drove her insane with want just
minutes earlier.This was no time for
insecurity, no time for doubt.Whatever
it was, it didn’t matter, she was going to prove to Sydney it didn’t
matter.She was going to make it
better.

She stepped in, laying her hands on
the chilled shoulders before her.“Shhhh, it’s okay.You don’t
have to talk, not now.”She could feel
the tremor that ran through the slender body in response to her touch, could
sense the girl’s need to just give in, lean into her body and give in.Slowly pulling her in, she made Sydney do
just that, lean onto her, the contact of skin on skin eliciting a soft sigh
from the girl.She never stopped softly
murmuring into the small ear.“It’s
okay.Whatever it is, it’ll be all
right.”She let her hands slide down
the girl’s arms, the compact body leaning against her, the back of the
piercer’s head resting against her shoulder.“It doesn’t matter.Not
now.”She wrapped her arms around the
girl’s waist, detachedly noticing how fragile and slight it seemed under her
large palms.Deep inside her, a
pulsating ache started - the need to keep the woman in her arms safe and happy,
a feeling so subtle it went unnoticed amidst all other sensations carousing
through her body.“Not now.Only you matter now, Sydney.”

As if breaking out of trance with
her last words, the girl jolted, straightening and turning within her
embrace.“Marissa, I can’t…”Green eyes looked up at her, pleading.The confusion, the desire, and so much quiet
need was contained in those eyes, Marissa did the only thing that felt right.“Shhh...”Placing one finger on the soft mouth, she bent down brushing her lips
against Sydney’s forehead, sliding down to a soft brow, lower to a trembling
eyelid, green eyes closed.“It’s okay,
it is.”She kissed the other eye,
before nuzzling a small ear.How could
she make her understand?She wanted the
girl and nothing she could say right now was going to change that.

“I want you.”Her voice was raspy, her need clearly
audible, but she didn’t care.“I want
you like I’ve never wanted anyone before.”She grasped the girl’s face with both her hands forcing her to look up
into her eyes.She knew Sydney could
see it all clearly in her eyes.“Let me
have you.”She covered the face below
her with soft kisses, the girl’s forehead, cheeks, corners of her mouth and
with every touch she felt the small tremors run through the blonde woman’s
frame.“I need to love you.”She moved away, making eye contact
again.Her voice was low, but she knew
the girl could hear the promise in it.“Let me love you.”

For a long moment the green eyes
before her bore into her, searching, questioning, irises dilated with surprise
and wonder, darkened with emotion.Marissa could see the hesitation and the need to believe cross the
girl’s features.Then the eyes slid
closed again and with a sigh of defeat, the girl gave in to her need.Small hands reached up, tangling themselves
in her hair and when she met Sydney’s lips, there was a desperate quality to
the kiss, as if the girl needed to be shown that it was real, that Marissa
meant what she said.And she showed
her; soothing with her lips, igniting with her teeth, her tongue claiming the
girl’s mouth and planting the stamp of her possession on every sigh that
escaped.She was going to have Sydney
tonight, and she was going to have all of her.

***************

A fumbling hand reached out and the door to
Ariana's room was flung open, the two of them stumbling through in a tangle of
limbs, neither willing to relinquish the hold on each other.A string of white Christmas lights hung
across the wall and the dim moonlight streaming through a ceiling window was
all the lightning in the room, dark shadows concealing the few pieces of
furniture in the room.

The editor tried maneuvering their way towards
the dark outline of a bed, but Ariana stopped her movement with a growl,
pressing the tall woman against a wall just inside the room.She could feel Marissa give in, relaxing in
a position much like the one they had found themselves in during their first
encounter.Ariana was pressing into the
older woman, hips pushing in, hands exploring the skin offered to her.She was feverish, not allowing herself to
feel anything outside the cocoon of Marissa's flesh and scent, the sensation of
strong hands on her back and teeth on her shoulder.

Her body took over, the urge to stop herself
before she went too far was overpowered by the need to have Marissa's body
cover her and have the editor's lips chase away the gnawing thought that she
shouldn't be doing this, not before she had told Marissa who she was.Her hands slid around Marissa's ass,
kneading, pushing into the taller woman, and the moan that answered her
crumbled any remaining hesitancy.Too late now...

She slid one of her hands down the jean-encased
thigh, pulling it back and drawing Marissa's leg along.The tall woman readily followed suit, raising
her leg and resting it on her hip, opening herself up to Ariana.She detached her lips from the enticing line
of Marissa's collarbone, craning her neck and demanding the woman's lips.The editor complied, moving into the kiss,
her hands in Ariana's hair, lips demanding more of her.When Ariana slid a hand up, cupping her
center, the heat seeping from the taller woman burned her palm."God, Marissa..."She ground out against the editor's mouth,
her knees going weak with trembling excitement.How did she manage to resist this woman for so long?And why?

Feeling the pressure of the small hand between
her legs, the cultured part of Marissa content to follow the girl's lead fell
victim to the red rush of her desire.Pushing off the wall, she planted her foot on the ground again, grasping
Sydney's shoulders and turning her around.Now she had the girl positioned against the wall, eyes opened wide in
surprise, her hands resting on Marissa's hips.Surprised, is she?Well...

"Not so fast, love." It was a low, deliciously menacing purr and
she could see Sydney's eyes widen at her words.She wasn't sure if that was a reaction to the tone of her voice
or the term of endearment that slipped past her lips with no conscious
thought."You see, I want to play
too.Now..."She took Sydney's hands off her hips and
placed them against the girl's sides.Her lips found an earlobe."You just stay put and relax.I'll do all the work..."The girl slumped against the wall with a moan as Marissa's lips and teeth
followed the line of her neck.

Marissa took that little surrender with a
satisfied smile, her hands sliding around the smooth torso, fingers searching
for bra hooks.She had replayed this
moment in her mind hundreds of times since she met the smaller woman, the first
sight of flesh, the scent of Sydney's hair gliding down her skin, the sensation
of liquid passion on her fingers... Images overwhelming rational thought,
swarming in her head and attacking her buckling concentration like a school of
piranhas.

Now that her hands and lips were tracking the
contours she coveted in her dreams, her fingers would not stop trembling.Just when she thought the hooks on the
girl's bra were finallygetting undone,
the smaller woman would press up against her, or moan softly in her ear, or
bite down on her neck, and the bra would slip from between her contracting
fingers, clinging on.When the blonde
moved in again, pressing up, moaning and nipping all at the same time,
Marissa's blood finally boiled over and all of her fraying restraint withered
away.With a growl she grasped the thin
cotton fabric and tore at it, the bra giving in with a rip.Finally!

Her mouth went dry at the sight that greeted
her.The roundness and full perfection
of Sydney's breasts drew her hands up without her conscious thought.The girl's nipples were small and pink,
puckered with arousal.A small golden
hoop, not big enough to slide even down her pinky, Marissa judged, adorned the
right nipple, gleaming its invitation in the dimness of the room.She complied, drawing the girl to her with
one hand and using the other one to cup the girl's breast, her thumb sliding
over the pierced nipple, the skin warm and supple under her palm.The touch sent a shudder through both of
them. Keeping her eyes locked with the
stormy green of the blonde, she slowly bent her knees, feathering kisses down
Sydney's throat and collarbone as she slid down her body.

Lifting the small ring with her thumb, she
hovered above the nipple, letting the warmth of her breath raise goose bumps
across Sydney's skin.With a devilish
smile, she paused for a moment, making sure the girl's eyes were locked on her,
and then she opened her mouth slightly catching the nipple ring with her
teeth.The girl's hands trailed up and
cupped her face, the simmering look through half-lidded eyes searing right
through her.Sydney arched into her,
eyes sliding shut, thumbs gently brushing against Marissa's jaw.

"Marissa..."It was a plea and it was a command.She wouldn't be able to remain upright much longer.The thrill of the sight of her nipple ring
between Marissa's teeth almost overrode the sensations that shot through her
body at the contact.Almost.The tall woman's moist breath on her breast
sent shivers down her spine, but the slight tugging on the ring going through
her nipple was opening a volcano between her legs.She was shaking with need.

"Marissa, I need..."The editor pulled her head backwards
slightly, sending a jolt straight between her legs.The tightness of the pants she was wearing did nothing to relieve
the pressure building in her pulsating bundle of nerves.I
can't take this any longer...Tightening her hold on Marissa's face she was going to pull her up and
away from her sensitive nipples, but the editor forestalled her move by one of
her own.

The feel of warm lips enveloping her nipple was
sudden and cathartic. "Oh, God, Mariss-ahh..."She could feel her head slamming back into
the wall in reaction, but she barely registered it.Marissa's tongue was darting across her nipple with deep strokes,
lips holding fast to the soft flesh of her breast.When the tip of the editor's tongue weaved its way through the
loop of the ring, teeth nibbling, Ariana's knees gave out.Her hands still cupping Marissa's face, she
was unable to stop from bonelessly sliding down the wall.

Undeterred, Marissa slid down with her,
insistent lips and teeth not leaving purchase on her breast.Skilled fingers were covering her other
breast, kneading it, eliciting ruptured moans from her.The tall woman didn't seem content to leave
it at that.Kneeling between her legs,
Marissa straightened up moving her lips to capture Ariana's in a heated kiss,
reaching around and crushing her against her tall frame.The tall woman lowered herself on the floor,
keeping the blonde prostrate against herself, and Ariana found herself looking
down at six feet of pulsating energy and warm skin.A movement later, she was looking up at six feet of the same
sensual body, Marissa having exchanged their positions.

Smiling lasciviously down at her, the editor
propped herself up on her elbows, her hands smoothing away hair from Ariana's
face.The feel of Marissa's body on
her, heat vibrating between them where their skin touched, was making it
difficult for her to breathe.She could
feel Marissa leaning in, warm breath caressing her ear.

"You..."The woman stopped, enjoying the shudder that ran through Ariana,
"are delicious."The voice
caressing her ear was a purr and Ariana found herself arching her back into the
woman above her, her hips rising off the floor in an effort to ease the tension
between her legs.Marissa leaned in
again, her tongue following the outline of Ariana's ear before dipping in
slightly."And you have kept me
hungry for a very, very long time now."

"Dear God, Marissa!"She couldn't take it anymore; the woman was
trying to kill her!She started
squirming under the weight of the older woman, trying to get out from under her
and take matters into her own hands.This is no time for teasing!Her frantic movements, however, pressed her
up against the leg Marissa had conveniently placed between her thighs, and she
soon found her hips moving in circular motions, her pelvis grinding against the
muscular thigh between her legs.“Ooohh, dear God…”

With a low chuckle the editor leaned in further,
increasing the pressure with her thigh and the hands that were pushing her away
just moments ago were now roaming the expanse of her back, drawing her in.God,
I’m so easy.A blearily detached
part of Ariana’s mind noted.Put a beautiful woman between my legs and
the whole world can go to hell for all I care…Large, warm hands were running up her torso, scooping her arms on
the way upward, drawing them above her head.She hardly noticed a hand pinning her wrists to the floor, the tall
woman’s mouth was raising brush fires along her skin.

Using one of her hands to hold Sydney’s wrists
clasped above her head, Marissa used her mouth and free hand to track the body
below her, to find the soft spots, the places that elicited prolonged moans, to
mold her touch to the woman that was opening herself to her.The sight of the blonde head swaying from
side to side, eyes closed, back arching into her touch, the feeling of the wetness
seeping through the clothing that separated them with every touch she made, was
too much for her at this moment.The
breathless way the girl repeated her name with every movement, every sway of
Marissa’s hips, was more stimulating than any of the images of this moment her
mind had conjured in the last three weeks.There was no sensual lingering of her previous encounters in Marissa’s
touch now.The need that consumed her
now was all encompassing, all devouring.She needed to feel Sydney contract around her fingers and claw at her
back in release.

Her mouth seemed insatiable, lips covering a
soft earlobe, tongue tracking the sensitive outline ofcartilage, teeth nipping at the pulse point
on the girl’s throat.Soft growling
sounds and breathless moans escaped her lips with every contact with Sydney’s
skin.Fingers of her free hand dug into
the soft flesh of the breast below her, kneading, eliciting a strangled moan as
her reward.Lowering her head, she
sucked in as much of the pliant flesh as she could, a hungry tongue raking over
the nipple in her mouth.The sensation
of the erect nipple against her tongue was almost her undoing.Grinding her hips against the body below her
she snarled in frustration realizing that both of them still had way too much
clothing on.

Ariana was shaking, her eyes rolled back.Her hands jerked against Marissa's
restraints with every onslaught of the editor's lips but no rational thought
spurred her actions.Marissa's hair was
cascading over her body, the dizzying scent and silken threads against her skin
stealing her breath.In the red haze of
arousal she could hear her own ragged breathing and Marissa’s muted sounds of
pleasure.When the soft growls and
murmurs from the other woman finally registered in her brain, they drove a wave
of wetness straight between her legs.

In the back of her mind she connected the sounds
Marissa was making with the starved kitten she found at her door a few months
back.She had fed it pieces of chicken,
the animal hungry enough to eat from her hand.The sounds it made were a cross between purring and hungry growling, and
hearing them coming from Marissa drove her wild.The feel of the editor’s teeth on her nipple, long fingers
rubbing the sensitive spot between her legs was more than Ariana could handle
and she could feel herself nearing orgasm.Her hips moved in short, spastic movements against Marissa’s fingers and
leg, eyes tightly closed, hands straining against the editor’s iron grip,
needing to anchor themselves in dark hair.Not like this, dammit!A soft part of her demanded and the
frenzied coupling on the floor was decidedly unromantic.Not so
damn fast.I want to feel her inside
me.A more practical side of her
retorted.

As if sensing her thoughts, all contact stopped
suddenly, the pressure on her wrists gone, the rhythmic movement of the thigh
between her hips stopped, cold air assaulting the abandoned wetness of her
nipples.She looked up in surprise to
see Marissa kneeling above her, tearing at the belt buckle of her jeans.Now or
never…Ariana followed her up,
grabbing her head with both of her hands and crushing her lips in a possessive
kiss.The force of her attack pushed
them both backwards but she broke their fall with one of her arms, lowering
Marissa down and settling herself on top.Only surprise kept the taller woman immobile for a few moments, but
that’s all the time Ariana needed.

Her tongue was sliding against Marissa's, vying
for purchase in the dark-haired woman's mouth, pushing and darting, capturing
her moans before they escaped and savoring them.She retreated, biting the full lips, the strong chin, capturing
an earlobe, but she was inexorably drawn back to the bruised lips of the older
woman.Her breathing came in short
rasps, her movements hard and demanding, imbuing every touch they shared with
searing electricity, setting the skin below her palms on fire.She could feel Marissa’s hands take hold of
her hair in an effort to hold on, and to connect with the blaze that seared out
of Ariana’s eyes.

Her hands grasped the delicate lace of the bra
and returned the favor by ripping it off Marissa.The taller woman gasped and arched into her, full breasts moving
with her ragged breathing.Ariana dove
in, her teeth attaching to a nipple, hands kneading the flesh below them.She could feel herself losing control.Raising herself on her knees she shook off
Marissa's hands from her hair.The
woman tried to grab a hold of her again, her body lifting off the floor in an
arch, whimpering with the loss of contact.Ariana didn't hear her, only one thought, one need in her mind.She had to have her.Now.She ripped at the jeans encasing Marissa's legs, buttons giving in, and
she yanked them down the long thighs, together with the white underwear
underneath them.Not enough.

Growling, she pushed the jeans lower, pooling
them below the editor's knees and entered her hard with two fingers, her eyes
on Marissa's face.The editor's hips
buckled at the contact, and a low, drawn out "Yeeessssss..." escaped
her lips.One of her hands flew down,
grabbing Ariana's wrist, securing her hand between her legs.Ariana allowed her the control for a moment,
drinking in the sight in front of her.Marissa's head was thrown back, her hair spread like a black glistening
halo around her.Her eyes were closed,
the pulse point on her throat keeping a visible tempo of her excitement.In the hollow of her throat sweat glistened
under the pale light of the moon streaming through the windows and Ariana found
herself drawn to it.Her tongue slipped
out, savoring the taste of excitement and desire and she closed her eyes for a
moment, resting her cheek on Marissa's breast.

The feel of the tall woman contracting around
her fingers, warm softness of her core drawing her in, pulsating with need
around her, and caused her to bite down hard on her lip to prevent herself from
coming at the contact.It was too much,
the smell and touch of the woman below her, the ragged sounds floating past her
ears, the wetness of Marissa’s arousal sliding past her fingers, it all
affected her like nothing ever had before.Shaking her head with a soft growl, she straightened up, focusing again
on Marissa, and what the tall woman needed from her.

And Marissa obviously needed more.The editor’s eyes were closed shut, short
gasps escaping through her parted lips.Her whole body was rigid with anticipation, hips raised, one hand
griping Ariana's wrist and keeping her buried deep inside of her, the other
clawing at the red carpet below her.The contrast of pale, glistening flesh against the redness of the floor
was brilliant and Ariana knew the sight would be seared in her memory for the
rest of her life.

She slowly curved her fingers, marveling at the
warmth and softness of the woman contracting around them and was rewarded by
another deep moan.The sight of the
body below her, the editor giving herself to Ariana, enraptured the young
piercer.It wasn’t about her anymore,
about her need, the pulsing between her legs.With a certainty which would have scared her had she been in any
condition to register it, she realized that she needed to satisfy Marissa, needed
to keep hearing these rushed moans and whispered curses time and time
again.Still not moving her hand, she
continued to move just the tips of her fingers in a slow circular motion deep
inside Marissa.A broken sob escaped
the dark woman and she let her hips fall on the floor, unable to keep her
attention on controlling her movements.She was solely focused on the sensations Ariana's fingers were creating,
unaware of the sounds she was making.

The contractions of the woman below her, the
wetness she could feel sliding between her fingers, and the deep moans escaping
Marissa’s lips caused Ariana to give in.Bending, she let her lips envelop one nipple, sucking it in, biting down
on it, letting Marissa’s need drive her movements.She withdrew her hand slowly, tips of her fingers lingering at
the woman’s opening.When she drove her
hand into Marissa, hard, without warning, she could feel pools of liquid desire
seeping past her fingers.Her thumb
pressed against the swollen clitoris and with every deep thrust of her fingers,
air escaped Marissa's lungs with an exclamation.

She sucked harder on the soft flesh below her, drawing
in as much of Marissa's breast into her mouth as she could, feeling the
dark-haired woman's hips raise and drive down meeting her hand half-way, trying
to take in more of her.Both of Marissa
hands were now tangled in Ariana's hair, as she arched up, pressing her face
against her, urging her to give her more.She could feel Marissa getting closer to orgasm as her inner muscles
gripped her fingers powerfully with every thrust, and the air escaped Marissa’s
lungs in short, violent bursts.Curving
her fingers Ariana changed the angle of her thrust slightly, and pressed more
firmly on the hard bundle of flesh.

The rip of the orgasm took both of them off
guard, raising Marissa's hips of the ground with a jerk, emptying her lungs of
air with a powerful scream.Letting go
of her breast, Ariana grabbed her around the waist with the free arm, securing
the editor in her embrace and riding out the waves with her.Her hand stilled inside Marissa, only the
tips of her fingers twitching slightly.

Spent by the orgasm, Marissa slumped down on the
floor, chest heaving with exhaustion, arms lying limply by her sides.Resting her cheek on the slick stomach,
Ariana slowly withdrew her hand, causing a slight shudder to run through the
body below her.She raised her hand,
glistening with the wetness of release and slowly brought it to her lips.The aroma was electrifying, heavy and musky
and when she placed her fingers in her mouth the slick wetness slid down her
throat making her ravenous.

Quickly pushing herself down, she settled
between the exhausted woman's thighs and smiled wickedly."And now for dessert..."She started with the moisture spread
liberally across Marissa's thighs, the other woman protesting weakly, spent
arms twitching at her sides.The sight
of slick black curls distracted her soon enough and she dove straight for her
reward.

Spreading Marissa's legs as much as her
jean-encased ankles would allow, she slid her tongue up the length of her
wetness, turning murmured protests into drawn-out moans.The flavor of Marissa’s sex was godly,
sweetness mixed with salt, the scent of desire filing her nostrils.She used her hands to spread the sticky lips
before her as she entered Marissa again, filling her with her tongue.The soft movement of editor's hips and the
sighs floating down spurred her on.Using the length of her tongue, she ran up and down Marissa's opening
before attaching herself to the tender clitoris and sucking gently.When the other orgasm came, she did not want
to let go and only hands pushing her head away and a soft "Please..."
made her stop.

Straightening up, she looked down at
the woman lying before her.Marissa was
still breathing heavily, one arm thrown across her eyes, the other one resting
on the slick skin of her stomach.Her
legs were still spread awkwardly, ankles cinched by the crumpled jeans at her
feet, the purple wetness of her center open for Ariana’s view.This time, the surge of warmth that rocked
Ariana was not desire, but an overwhelming tenderness.Mine.The thought came unbidden and she accepted
it as such, not wanting to mar this moment by doubt.

Scooting down, she reached for
Marissa’s feet, untangling them.The
woman jerked, and a quiet sigh of protest escaped her lips.

“Shhh, I just want to take your
shoes off.”Marissa relaxed and Ariana
unlaced her hiking boots, pulling them off and tugging her jeans and socks off
as well.When she was done, she looked
up and found Marissa looking at her through bangs made slick with sweat, the
most pleased post-coital smile curling her lips.

The sight made Ariana’s heart skip a
beat.“Hey there.Feelin’ all right?”

The smile lazily widened, eyes made
indigo by satiation closing for a moment.“I’d like to think so, but I honestly can’t tell.”The editor’s voice was low and raspy and
Ariana found herself moving up on all fours closer to its source.

“Oh, how so?”She inquired softly, lying down next to
Marissa’s prone body, close enough she could feel the heat rising off her skin,
but not touching the editor.“Can’t be
all that good if you can’t tell how you’re feeling.”

The dark head lolled towards her,
the depth of the half lidded gaze that greeted her taking her breath away.“Well, I’m slightly light-headed, I have no
feeling in my extremities, and what I can feel of my body is pleasantly
tingling.”An eyebrow attempted to rise
archly, but dropped back mid movement.“And I seem to have no coordination.”

Ariana smiled, leaning in on impulse
and kissing the dissenting brow.“Well,
that’s it, Miss Weller, no more sex for you.”

The movement was so sudden, she
didn’t realize what happened until she was looking into sparkling blue eyes
above her, her wrists secured above her head again, Marissa’s breasts dangling
dangerously close to her mouth.“Oh,
really?So, you like to dish it out,
but you don’t want to take it in, huh?”

She couldn’t help but chortle out
loud.“Take it in?”She pursed her lips, arching an eyebrow,
eyes pointedly focused on Marissa’s breasts swaying in a most delicious manner
in front of her face.“Oh, honey, I
would love to take it in.”Innocent green eyes blinked up at amused blue ones.“I just didn’t think you were up to it,
Marissa, that’s all.After all, older
people do need their rest and…”

Whatever else she was planning on
saying was abruptly cut off by long fingers burrowing themselves in her
midriff, tickling her unmercifully.

“Oh, oh, what was that?”Marissa was straddling her hips, her hands
causing Ariana to convulse on the floor below her, wicked grin spread on her
face.“Was that an apology I hear?Oh, no, wait, that sounded remarkedly like a
squeal.Did I just hear you insinuate I
was old?No?Yeah, I thought so.”

She couldn’t breathe, tears sliding
down her cheeks, her pleadings for mercy interspersed by breathless
giggling.As suddenly as it started,
the assault on her ribs stopped, but before she had a chance to regain her
composure, two demanding lips claimed it again, a soft tongue demanding
entrance to her mouth.Large hands
covered her breasts, sliding down, undoing the buttons of her pants, tugging
them down until she complied, raising her hips and helping to slide them
off.

Marissa slid off her, moving to
remove them completely off her, removing the pants completely, flippantly
throwing them over her shoulders, together with Ariana’s underwear.Then Ariana was covered by six feet of
smooth skin again, Marissa’s mouth sliding along her neck, the editor’s mound
pressing against her center and gyrating in slow circles.Raising her head, Marissa detached her lips
from Ariana’s throat, biting into a soft earlobe instead.The editor’s voice was a low purr in her
ear.

“Just for that comment, I’ll make
you do all the work now.”

With that, the editor flipped them
again, Ariana staring dazedly down into blue eyes again, her hips arching for
the lost contact.She felt Marissa’s
hands on her hips, pushing her upwards, and when she realized what the tall
woman had in mind; a low growl escaped her lips.Moving up on her fours, she positioned herself above Marissa’s
face, letting the woman’s hands lead her.

The editor had revenge on her mind,
every teasing, feathery touch bestowed by her igniting, where it should have
been dousing.Her hands kept Ariana’s
hips stationary, not letting her dip lower or move away from the maddening
touches.Then they stopped all
together.

Just when she thought the maddening
feel of editor’s breath on her clitoris would be the only thing to take her
over the edge, Marissa’s fingers plunged into her, filling her and retracting,
filling, and retracting.Her fingers
gripping the carpet below them, head hung low, hair sweeping back and forth
with every movement of Marissa’s hands, driving into her she tried to hold on,
tried not to give in to the currents of pleasure tearing through her.She barely had a chance to adjust the
movement of her hips to Marissa, moving to meet every thrust half way, when a
hungry mouth attached itself to her throbbing clitoris.

She came with a rush that robbed her
of her breath, crosscurrents of pleasure shaking her body long after the woman
below her stopped moving.Sitting back,
she slid down Marissa’s body, shuddering as her center skidded across the
editor’s stomach.She couldn’t stop
shivering, small tremors causing her to burrow deeper into the body below her,
into the embrace that enveloped her.Soft sounds of Marissa’s voice and the comforting warmth of the hands
around her were the last things she felt as she slid into a sated slumber.

***********

The coarse texture of the carpet
below her face and the wetness of drool under her cheek were the first things
she noticed as she slowly floated towards consciousness.Then she realized that she was freezing.On the floor.

Quickly sitting up and turning
around she let the sight of Marissa sleeping next to her calm her erratic
heartbeat.She’s still here.It was real.The woman was lying on her back, one arm
draped across her eyes, an Amazon Goddess caught in slumber.Whoa
there, Ar, an Amazon goddess?Dear God,
what’s next, you’ll find yourself a willing supplicant to her throne?Shaking her head at the unnerving thoughts,
she still couldn’t escape the feeling of quiet awe as she watched the woman
before her.

God,
what can she possibly see in me?She embraced her calves with her arms and resting her head on her knees
followed the line of Marissa’s body with her eyes.The soft glow of the woman’s skin in the semi darkness of the
room made her mouth dry with desire again.You messed up, Ar.How are you going to tell her now?Fear gripped her insides at the prospect of
telling Marissa who she was.You can’t mess this one up, girl.Not this one.

Reaching out, she traced Marissa’s
forearm covering her eyes.“Hey,
sleepy-head.”The clock by the bed
showed it was just past midnight.They
had been asleep for a couple of hours.Marissa didn’t budge.

She tried patting her exposed
stomach gently.“Marissa.Let’s get you to bed, you don’t want to
spend the whole night on the floor.”No
response.

“Okay.If you say so…”Moving
in, she tried another tactic.Hovering
above the sleeping woman, she extended her tongue and slowly licked the
sleeping nipple of Marissa’s right breast.The nipple immediately awoke, but Marissa didn’t move.“Dear God, give the woman a slight workout
and feed her afterwards and she’s out like a light.”

Lowering her head again, she let her
lips envelop the nipple now, sucking it in.Just when she was about to give up and go get a glass of cold water, she
felt a hand press her head into the breast she was servicing.

“Mmmm, a girl could get used to
being woken up like that.”

Smiling, she detached herself from
warm skin under her breasts and looked up into sleepy blue eyes.“It took you a while.I was gonna resort to trying to find if you
had any ticklish spots.”

“Don’t you dare.”A long-fingered hand moved to cup her cheek,
and she leaned in, savoring the touch.“What time is it, anyway?”

“It’s just past midnight.I just wanted to move us up on the bed.I already have rug burn on my knees, I
didn’t want to add anymore to it.”

Licking her lips unconsciously at
the sight offered to her, Ariana leaned in.“No, no complaining.None at
all.”

The low purr of her voice made the
taller woman look at her and Ariana could see the flames of want reflected in
Marissa’s eyes as well.“Good.Because I was thinking you need a matching
set on your bum.”

Scooting on her knees, the editor
leaned in towards her, eyes fastened on her lips.Feeling herself inexorably drawn to the blue-eyed woman before
her, Ariana moved in to meet her half way, eyes closing in anticipation of the
kiss.

A loud rumbling stopped their
movement; two pairs of eyes looking at each other in surprise, until the blue
pair sheepishly averted its gaze.

“Ah, I – uh, didn’t really have any
dinner yet.”

Ariana sat back on her haunches,
laughing.“And whose fault is that,
exactly?I was diligently cooking away
in the kitchen until you decided to seduce me.”

Marissa defiantly raised her
chin.“I didn’t actually hear you
complaining.Besides, at the time, I
wasn’t really hungry for food.”

Smiling, Ariana rose, dragging
Marissa along with her.“Yeah, yeah,
blame it all onyour appetite.I’ll run down and get us something to eat,
and in the meantime you can find us something to wear.There should be some T-shirts that could fit
you in that bureau, ok?”

“Yes, mother.”

She reached out, slapping Marissa’s
exposed behind on her way out, well out of reach of her swinging arms.She ran down the stairs laughing.

*************

Most of the beans were burnt, but
there was plenty of minced meat and tortillas and cheese to tide them
over.Softly humming to herself, she
placed the food in the microwave, setting the timer.It was truly incredible.

She felt elated, amazed, and
definitely giddy.It just felt so right
with Marissa, all of it did.She never
had any doubt the sex would be incredible, she could tell from the very
start.But this feeling of comfort, of
ease, was new, it was thrilling and she loved it.

Removing the dishes from the
microwave, she started up the stairs.Marissa seemed at ease as well.There seemed to be no awkward questioning, they seemed to have developed
an uncanny rapport with each other.Now just for that minor detail of explaining
to her who I am and why I didn’t tell her before.

Balancing the tray on one hand, she
paused before the door, trying to find the handle.The beam of light she could see under the door told her Marissa
was getting settled in.The door swung
open and she quickly retracted her hand, steadying the tray.Marissa was standing by the bureau, light
blue t-shirt just covering her behind, her back turned to Ariana.

“Hey, I see you found something that
fits.Got anything for me, or would you
prefer me to serve you like this?”

Slowly, very slowly, Marissa turned
her head, calm blue eyes looking at her without seeing her.Then the rest of the editor followed suit,
turning to fully face her.In her hand,
limply hanging by her side, she was holding a piece of paper.

“Marissa?”The dead calm of the tall woman’s features sent a pang of
apprehension through Ariana, the tray forgotten in her hands.And then she remembered; the letter she received
from the editor three long weeks ago.She had been reading it again before she went downstairs to start
cooking dinner in order to help prepare herself for telling Marissa, and had
left the letter on her bureau… “Oh, no…”